Episode 203: Greenhouses for Year-round Growing

Greenhouses are the key to year-round growing, for home or for business.

The key to controlling your growing environment when you can’t control the weather is to use a greenhouse. They make year round growing a possibility no matter where you live. No matter how big or small, from commercial growing to the simplest homemade version, there’s a greenhouse for any budget. From the most sophisticated operations like the one featured in this episode in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, down to the simplest home setup, it’s still the same basic requirements: sufficient light, humidity, and temperature control.

Shenandoah Growers – Certified Organic Commercial Greenhouse

Timothy Heydon of Shenandoah Growers with Director Carl Pennington

If you’re out to reach the masses, there’s not much margin for error and it helps if you can set yourself apart in a unique way. Shenandoah Growers’ claim to fame is not the size of their greenhouse operations. It’s the fact that they’re only one of a few greenhouses in the entire country that can use the certified organic label on their product. They’re in operation 365 days a year, so it doesn’t matter what’s going on with the weather outside. They’re still growing inside.

At any one time, they have over a million plants in production, from the germination room all the way through harvest. And because, they’re adding new plants to the line everyday, we can’t afford to have any glitches in the growing process. And yet, as sophisticated, as their system has to be, it still comes down to the basic components of any greenhouse growing operation. Being able to control the climate for temperature and humidity and then making sure the light is adequate.

Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.

Enjoy this episode? Don't miss out!

Get updates & behind-the-scenes info on all the upcoming shows - before they happen.

Email Address

First Name

Comments

The November 22 broadcast on CH 13,Toledo,Ohio featured all season harvest in Maine using greenhouses and arcs of bent electrical tubing covered with spun fabric. Where can I purchase the tool shown used to form the arcs? Can this tool be used to bend both 1/2 and 3/4 inch thinwall? Thank you for your time. Fred Kraus

Hi Fred. The link to the “pipe bender” is in the show notes for the episode you watched. I’m attaching the link here. Just scroll down and you’ll find it. I don’t recall if it will bend 3/4 inch pipe, but they will be able to tell you.http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/winter-gardening/

I SAW AN EPISODE ABOUT A SMALL GREENHOUSE THAT THE LADY HAD A WAX THERMAL ACTUATOR TO CONTROL HER VENTS ON THE GREEN HOUSE. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND SOME INFORMATION ON THE WAX THERMAL ACTUATORS.? MANY THANKS JIM FISH

I was looking for the episode where they talk about how to build a garden shade and tools for bending the pipes to make it. My garden burns out around the end of July under smeltering temperatures in Phoenix AZ.

What a great episode! This show doesn’t air on the local PBS station here in Austin, so I’m glad I found it online. Sheri and the estate gardener in the previous segment gave some excellent tips. One that I found interesting was “never take you friend’s plant into your greenhouse”. I didn’t know that bugs/disease could be transmitted so easily. I hope her friends are the understanding type…

Another fantastic episode. You guys have some of the best information out there…love your site (free episodes…how can you not love that) and show. I saw it first on PBS on Saturday and immediately looked up your website. Great stuff.

Ahhh! You’ve got to love a nice greenhouse! It immediately expands the growing opportunities. No more worries about inclement weather. You know, the rain, hail, sleet or snow….Keeps the fresh fruits, veggies and yes, flowers too coming. Who wouldn’t like that? Happy gardening

Ahhh! You’ve got to love a nice greenhouse! It immediately expands the growing opportunities. No more worries about inclement weather. You know, the rain, hail, sleet or snow….Keeps the fresh fruits, veggies and yes, flowers too coming. Who wouldn’t like that? Happy gardening